Will the Brussels Government ignore the (dark) red card issued by the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union? The answer will be revealed at the Council of Ministers meeting this Thursday, 9 July 2026!
Surreal : we have learnt that the approval of the implementing decree for the ordinance on tourist accommodation in the Brussels-Capital Region of 1 February 2024 is reportedly on the agenda for the Council of Ministers meeting this Thursday, 9 July 2026. Retrospection: A few fundamental questions: STR-Belgium remains willing to work together – with […]
ING Real Estate Study: “Housing affordability under pressure: focusing on Airbnb means missing the heart of the problem”
STR-Belgium commends this excellent study by ING Belgium and would like to offer the following comments to inform the deliberations of the new Government of the Brussels-Capital Region as it works to implement a proportionate regulatory framework for the short-term rental industry: Selected excerpts: “Stronger regulations and better data sharing regarding short-term rentals could help […]
Brussels, the capital of Europe, is also the most affordable European capital when it comes to housing
Europe is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. An analysis by Euronews Business reveals alarming figures: in many cities, the gross minimum wage is not enough to cover the rent. It is therefore essential to identify structural solutions to resolve this housing crisis. However, at a time when certain politicians in Brussels are chanting populist and […]
Brussels’ regulation on tourist accommodation are likely to be inconsistent with EU law: an opinion issued by the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union on 5 February 2026
See the full opinion Related LinkedIn posts: Cabinet Concordes & Cabinet Steinberg & Andrieux The conclusions of the Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-813/24 is unequivocal and is reproduced in full below: “139. In the light of the foregoing considerations, I propose that the Court of Justice give the following reply to the Cour d’appel de […]
STR-Belgium responds to the statements of the Brussels Hotels Association (BHA).
STR-Belgium wishes to respond to the statements made by the Brussels Hotels Association (BHA) in the press last week. As a reminder, the Brussels-Capital Region has for many years held the unenviable record of the highest level of informality in non-hotel tourist accommodation (tourist residences) in the European Union (>95%), to the detriment of service […]
Reactions to the article “Most Airbnbs in Brussels are operating illegally” published in L’Echo on Saturday, 23 November 2024
STR-Belgium comments below on the article published in L’Echo on Saturday, November 23. Major legal and economic considerations must complement the issue of the societal impact of short-term rentals, which deserves a far more in-depth and nuanced treatment than the simplistic, binary approach that is systematically applied to it by certain politicians for electoral purposes […]
Second major legal development in one week in the Brussels-Capital Region! The European Union will undoubtedly be the ultimate arbiter of the short-term rental issue — in Brussels, in Catalonia, and across Europe.
One week after the judgment of the Court of First Instance concerning the unlawful conduct of the City of Brussels in failing to process fire safety compliance certificates, the Second Chamber of the Brussels Court of Appeal, in a ruling delivered on November 14, referred questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union […]
Tourist accommodation case in the Brussels-Capital Region: the Court of First Instance rules against the City of Brussels in a judgment delivered on 7 November 2024
In essence, the French-speaking Court of First Instance of Brussels considered the refusal by the City of Brussels to process applications for fire safety compliance certificates for tourist residences to be unlawful. The City of Brussels has been ordered, subject to penalty payments, to comply (i.e. to acknowledge receipt of and process the applications). Furthermore, […]
Action for annulment against the ordinance of 1 February 2024 relating to tourist accommodation
On Monday, August 5, stakeholders from the non-hotel tourist accommodation sector (owners and property managers) in the Brussels-Capital Region, together with STR-Belgium, filed an action for annulment against the aforementioned ordinance before the Constitutional Court. The press widely covered this development: Television news: BX1, RTBF (3’08’’) Print media: Le Soir, L’Echo, Sudinfo, DH, Bruzz, De […]
Memorandum STR-Belgium – Integration of Short-Term Rental into a Competitive, Innovative and Sustainable Brussels Tourism Market
During this phase of negotiations for the formation of a regional government and on the eve of the municipal elections of October 13, STR-Belgium once again recalls the stakes and the Association’s recommendations to be translated concretely into an action plan to be validated and implemented by the next Government of the Brussels-Capital Region. For […]
